Benefits
- Competitive salary
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25 days annual holiday
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Permanent Health Insurance
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Life Assurance
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Interest free Season Ticket Loan
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Private Healthcare
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Pension Scheme
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Staff Introductory Scheme
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Employee Assistance Programme
The role
This is an excellent opportunity for a talented Senior Associate to join our highly regarded Wealth and Succession team with our Private Client department.
Our Private Client Department helps High Net Worth/Ultra High Net Worth individuals, their families and advisers with their tax and estate planning. Clients include entrepreneurs, business owners, artists, authors, musicians, members of foreign royalty, charities and sport professionals in the UK and overseas.
We benefit from the firm's wider private wealth offering that includes family, immigration, reputation management, business crime, residential property and cultural property. Our Wealth and Succession team is comprised of 2 main areas of focus; Tax, Trusts and Estate Planning and Administration of Estates.
We are known for our focus on delivering straightforward advice and solutions that resolve problems and creating the circumstances for a smooth and tax efficient transition of wealth between generations. We also regularly deal with estates containing business assets or containing assets in overseas jurisdictions, where we co-ordinate with lawyers and professionals in those jurisdictions to ensure the administration of the estate is a seamless and streamlined experience for the client.
Main responsibilities
The role will involve:
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The administration of a broad range of estates from the straightforward to complex estates with international aspects, including:
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Liaising with Personal Representatives, ascertaining the assets and liabilities of the estate;
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Assisting with new enquiries, speaking to clients and dealing with queries;
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Supporting the estate accountant in preparing Estate Accounts;
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Making applications for the Grant of Representation;
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All aspects of post-grant administration;
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Providing oversight and guidance to more junior team members, assisting with their knowledge development and ensuring quality and consistency in estate administration matters
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Wills, trusts and estate planning for UK and international clients;
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Trust administration;
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Preparation of Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection work
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With the support of Partners in the team, leading client relationships on selected matters, acting as a key point of contact and ensuring high levels of service delivery
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Contributing to business development initiatives, including attending networking events, contributing to thought leadership and identifying opportunities for cross-selling
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Assisting and mentoring more junior members of the team including Trainees, Paralegals, and Solicitors, with a focus on professional development and technical training
About you
Ideally you will be able to demonstrate;
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A range of experience as outlined above. In particular, administration of a broad range of estates from the straightforward to complex estates with international aspects;
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A good level of tax knowledge necessary for administration of estates, tax efficient Will drafting and related issues;
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Experience of advising UK domiciled and international clients on various aspects of estates planning;
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Proven experience supervising and mentoring junior colleagues, with the ability to delegate effectively and support team development
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Strong intellectual and analytical abilities;
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Excellent written and oral communication skills;
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Experience of drafting and technical research;
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The ability to take direction from senior members of the team and, where appropriate, to work independently, with an enthusiasm to develop your own skillset;
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A proactive approach to client relationship management, with the ability to build rapport and trust with clients and intermediaries;
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Good commercial understanding and ability to apply legal principles to client circumstances in a commercially aware manner;
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Effective management of client expectations and high levels of client service;
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Good organisational skills, record keeping and file management;
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An organised and accurate approach to work.
At Howard Kennedy we believe that everyone deserves the space to thrive. We’re committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience that reflects the diversity of both our people and our clients.
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities, and we’re committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and accessible to all.
We understand that every candidate’s needs are different If there’s anything we can do to make your application journey more comfortable— whether for interviews, assessments, or onboarding—please let us know. We’ll work with you to remove any barriers and ensure our recruitment process is comfortable for you.
Contact our recruitment team at
[email protected] to discuss any support you might need.
Agency Introductions
Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.
About Us
With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.
Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.
We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.
Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm’s values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.
At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.
As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.
